Tropical Cyclone Hagibis transitioned into an extra-tropical storm today, June 18, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).

Hagibis' circulation center was difficult to pinpoint in an infrared image from Japan's MTSAT on June 18 at 14:32 UTC (10:32 a.m. EDT). The Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT) series fulfills a meteorological function for the Japan Meteorological Agency and an aviation control function for the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

At 09:00 UTC (5 a.m. EDT) the JTWC noted that Hagibis' center was located near 30.3 north latitude and 140.2 east longitude, or 316 nautical miles south of Yokosuka, Japan. Hagibis had maximum sustained winds near 30 knots (34.5 mph/55.5 kph) as it sped to the east at 45 knots (51.7 mpg/83.3 kph) into the books of hurricane history.

Tropical Depression Hagibis appeared out for the count when it made landfall along southeastern China on June 16, but moved back into the South China Sea where it regenerated and sped northeast through the East China Sea. The next day, the TRMM satellite noticed power had come back to Hagibis in the form of some moderate rainfall in the depression's northeastern quadrant.

On June 17 at 10:30 UTC (6:30 a.m. EDT) the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite passed over the regenerated Hagibis and the Precipitation Radar instrument gathered data on the storm's rainfall. The data showed that in the northeastern quadrant of the storm, moderate rainfall was occurring at a rate of 1.4 inches per hour. The TRMM satellite is managed by NASA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Hagibis was speeding through the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and made it from southeastern China, past Taiwan and Andersen Air Base in one day. On June 17 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Tropical Depression Hagibis' maximum sustained winds had increased up to 30 knots (34.5 mph/55.5 kph) and it was located about 200 nautical miles (230 miles/370 km) northeast of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, near 29.6 north latitude and 131.9 east longitude. Hagibis was speeding to the east at 34 knots 39.1 mph/62.9 kph).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) cited a report that Hagibis passed about 45 nautical miles north of Amami Island, where sustained winds less than 15 knots (17.2 mph/27.8 kph) were reported.

JTWC noted that Hagibis is being battered by vertical wind shear greater than 30 knots, which is elongating the storm. Hagibis has crossed the Kuroshio Current and is now over much cooler sea surface temperatures which will decrease convection (the ability to build the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone).

The Kuroshio Current originates from Taiwan's east coast and flows in a northeasterly direction past Japan, where it joins the easterly movement of the North Pacific Current. The Kuroshio Current has been likened to the movement of the Gulf Stream along the U.S. east coast.

Hagibis is expected to continue on an east-northeasterly track, passing north of Iwo To and staying south of mainland Japan as it heads into the open waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean where it will transition into an extra-tropical cyclone in the next day.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued bulletins every 6 hours on Tropical Cyclone Hagibis and Hagibis only lived through 6 of those bulletins in its short lifetime in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The final bulletin was issued on June 15 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) after Hagibis made landfall in China.

Hagibis was born in the South China Sea on June 14 at 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT) near 20.7 north latitude and 117.0 east longitude, about 183 nautical miles east-southeast of Hong Kong when a low pressure system quickly consolidated and maximum sustained winds jumped to 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph). Hagibis is the seventh tropical depression of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean hurricane season. By the morning hours of June 15 Hagibis' maximum sustained winds peaked at 40 knots (46 mph/74 kph) as it neared China's coast.

As Hagibis was making landfall, NASA's Terra satellite passed overhead in its orbit around the Earth. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard Terra captured an infrared image at 14:15 UTC (12:15 p.m. EDT) that showed the storm making landfall on the coast of Haojiang District of Shantou City in China's Guangdong Province.

By 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) on June 15, Hagibis was centered near 23.5 north latitude and 116.5 east longitude, about 146 nautical miles (168 miles/270.4 km) east-northeast of Hong Kong. Hagibis made landfall with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph).

Hagibis brought heavy rainfall to the Fujian and Guangdong provinces. According to a report from Xinhuanet, Hagibis dropped as much as 302 mm (11.8 inches) of rain in Guangdong province.

NASA's Terra satellite captured an infrared image at 14:15 UTC of Hagibis making landfall on the coast of Haojiang District of Shantou City in China's Guangdong Province.

Image Credit:

NRL/NASA

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NASA's TRMM satellite showed moderate rainfall was occurring at a rate of 1.4 inches per hour in the northeastern quadrant of Tropical Depression Hagibis on June 17 in this composite image with MTSAT-2 satellite cloud data.

Image Credit:

NRL/NASA/ESA

Image Token:

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Hagibis' circulation center was difficult to pinpoint in an infrared image from Japan's MTSAT on June 18 at 14:32 UTC (10:32 a.m. EDT).